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Very briefly, if there was one area of anti-stigma work that the panel would like to see prioritised, what would it be?

That is an interesting suggestion. We should definitely take that back.

I will move on to a slightly different topic. We have often spoken in Parliament about the need for a “no wrong door” approach. Is there evidence that that is being implemented in practice, or do people who use drugs still face barriers when accessing mental health treatment and other services? That comes back to what we said earlier about thresholds to services.

I will pick up on what Tracey was saying about the multiple ways in which people can be stigmatised. How do we address that compound stigma—stigma relating to mental health conditions, blood-borne viruses, housing status and various other things—that could also be impacting individuals who use drugs? We know that stigma kills and that it is compounded by the other things that I have mentioned. How do we give a voice to the impact of that stigma? I do not think that we hear enough of that. We all know that stigma has an impact on individuals, but I do not think that we hear enough of that in people’s own words. Do you think that enough is being done to address the compound stigma?

That is great—thank you.

Good morning. I will come back to Philip Whyte on something that Emma Harper picked up earlier about preventing people from falling into poverty and ensuring that they have enough money to live on in the first place. With that in mind, what impact does the panel believe that the introduction of a universal basic income or a minimum income guarantee could have on the health and social care system in terms of reducing strain and costs?

Is work under way on putting vapes behind covers, as currently happens with cigarettes? One of the biggest concerns that we are hearing from parents is about the pervasiveness of the products, especially in shops. They can be reached by toddlers, because they are on the ends of aisles in some shops. If that was happening with cigarettes, we would rightly be outraged: vapes contain the same addictive ingredient. Is consideration being given to putting vapes behind covers?

Yesterday, I hosted a round-table meeting that was attended by Emma Harper and other colleagues. We heard from paediatricians and parents who are concerned about the addiction that children are currently suffering and the potential long-term health impacts. We have never needed large-scale nicotine cessation therapies for children before, but that is potentially looming. Many of the nicotine-replacement therapies that we currently have are licensed only for children aged 12 and over, but we have anecdotally heard about children as young as eight using vapes who might need support. What work is under way to develop pathways and support and advice for young people and parents who are facing such addiction?

It is being reported in the press this morning that the UK Government is likely to announce a ban on disposable vapes in the coming weeks. I welcome the Scottish Government’s commitment to a consultation on banning them. However, harm is still occurring while that work is under way. Many vaping products are displayed in shop windows alongside sweets, or at the end of aisles, in full view of children and young people. I wrote to retailers, asking them to proactively put vapes behind cover, but many declined, saying that they will comply with any legislation that is introduced. The Scottish Government plans to use its current regulation-making powers to move quickly to put vaping products out of sight—in particular, out of the sight of children. Are additional measures, such as plain packaging or restriction of advertising, being considered?

What assessment has been made of the impact of upcoming winter pressures on staff wellbeing, morale and resilience across health and social care? We have had several years of very high pressure, and that is not going to let off any this winter, even if we have a winter with relatively mild weather in comparison with a bad winter.

There are significant concerns. What action can be taken to address that, such as bolstering wellbeing support and practical support on meals, breaks and other things? Does the Government expect a higher rate of turnover as a result of winter pressures?

As a Central Scotland MSP, I have a particular interest in NHS Forth Valley and NHS Lanarkshire. Given some of the pressures that those health boards have faced—in A and E in Forth Valley and across the board in Lanarkshire—has any extra thought, resource or anything else been put in place for such health boards that have particular issues? I cannot imagine the damage that the number of times that NHS Forth Valley’s A and E statistics are reported on the news does to the morale of the staff who are working flat out to ensure that patients are seen, and that is without us being in winter-pressure territory. Given that pressures are more universal now, is resourcing going into, and is thought being given to, health boards that have particular issues?